Logitech Replacing Harmony Link with Logitech Harmony Hub – For Free

Harmony Link Gets Dropped, But Consumers Get a Logitech Harmony Hub Swap

Recently, customers who own the Logitech Harmony Link, a piece of hardware that currently allows for app-based remote control over connected devices in the home, got notice from Logitech that their Harmony Link would no longer be supported and cease to work as of March of 2018. The reason for this is that a certificate is expiring and Logitech is not choosing to renew it.

“The technology certificate is an encryption certification that expires in the spring of 2018, which may open the product up to potential security vulnerabilities. We’ve refocused development resources on newer technologies, and therefore, we are not updating the Harmony Link certificate.” – Rory Dooley, Head of Logitech Harmony”

Customers who owned the Harmony Link were fairly upset and reasonably felt that they were being forced into buying new hardware, as Logitech offered them 30% discount codes for the Harmony Hub, a more recently released Logitech product that offers similar functionality to the Harmony Link that was discontinued in fall of 2015.

Fortunately, after hearing customer feedback and receiving questioning from tech sites, Logitech got the message and has come forth with a very amicable solution that we think most of their customers can appreciate. Logitech will be replacing customers’ Harmony Link with a Harmony Hub for free of charge. Sometimes it takes strong consumer feedback to get a company to listen and Logitech certainly saw value in retaining customers who were loyal to the brand.

While this is a solid move by Logitech after they were facing some consumer backlash, it does remind us of the nature of Cloud-based services and internet-connected devices relying on the manufacture to continue support, or else the product can lose features, or become outright useless. Thankfully, Logitech is a large company and has the resources to do this kind of swap for their customers to keep them from ending up with useless technology. I bought a set of WiFi connected LED light bulbs from a company that went out of business about a month after getting the bulbs. The bulbs are now unable to be changed or adjusted and it was a fifty dollar reminder to stick with trusted, major brands for my internet-connected devices. Even when sticking with major brands, though, there are no guarantees as to how long a device that requires an internet connection and support from the manufacturer will actually work.

For full details on how Logitech will handle the swap to the Harmony Hub for existing customers, along with explanations for why exactly Logitech chose to discontinue to Harmony Link, please visit the Logitech Blog.

I want to thank Logitech for addressing this issue with us directly when we brought the news to their attention. They kept close contact with us throughout and came up with a respectable solution for their customers in very short order.